1
as in cerebral
much given to learning and thinking
as the daughter of college professors, she's used to being around intellectual people
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in mental
of or relating to the mind
intellectual pursuits such as reading and studying
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3
as in educational
of or relating to schooling or learning especially at an advanced level
research that shows that people from very intellectual backgrounds are happiest with spouses having comparable educations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in nerd
a person with strong intellectual interests
discovered that in politics a reputation for being an intellectual was regarded as a liability
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of intellectual
Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
For them, the exercise was more intellectual than entrepreneurial.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 31 Oct. 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
Soyinka, born on 13 July 1934 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, is a renowned playwright, poet, essayist and public intellectual.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Adjective
His portrayal of a pompous, yapping intellectual who's rotten to the core rings uncomfortably true, as do the performances of Thatcher and East as their characters nonverbally communicate their discomfort to each other.
—Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 31 Oct. 2025
For them, the exercise was more intellectual than entrepreneurial.
—Jasmin Malik Chua, Sourcing Journal, 31 Oct. 2025
Noun
Guests in attendance for this lavish soirée include George’s fellow intellectuals, a large number of dapper hedonists, the handsome horndog Judge Roland Brack (Nicholas Pinnock) — whose wolf-whistle come-ons are neither fully rebuffed nor reciprocated by Hedda — and Thea (Imogen Poots, wasted).
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Oct. 2025
Soyinka, born on 13 July 1934 in Abeokuta, Nigeria, is a renowned playwright, poet, essayist and public intellectual.
—Billal Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for intellectual
Recent Examples of Synonyms for intellectual
Adjective
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The book was created using a biological, sensual craft, as well as a cerebral one.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
-
Much of this lovely, cerebral film unfolds in a cozy Manhattan high-rise, a Christmas tree twinkling in the background as snow falls outside.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
8 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Industry pushback and innovation concerns Some tech companies argue that such regulation could stifle innovation, limit beneficial uses of conversational AI (education, mental-health support for older teens) or impose heavy compliance burdens.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
5 Nov. 2025
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Regular exercise can prevent the physical and mental impacts of SWSD.—
Pamela Assid,
Verywell Health,
5 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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In addition, Blaze Pizza will donate $1 from every pizza sold that day to Folds of Honor, which provides educational scholarships to military families.—
Cheryl V. Jackson,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Nov. 2025
-
Most Gazans who had come of age or graduated from university in 2006 when Israel’s blockade was imposed were in 2023 reaching the second half of their thirties without ever having had a job, despite their impressive educational achievements.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
Roberts’s pet theory is the Major Questions Doctrine, known to Supreme Court nerds as MQD.—
Noah Feldman,
Twin Cities,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Military history nerds will be pleased.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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What wasn't being collected are other research observations that are part of every hurricane season, including experiments conducted by NOAA's Hurricane Research Division and its academic partners, who were able to pay their scientists who flew with NOAA during Melissa.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
9 Nov. 2025
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Hann and Bich were strict and monitored not just Jennifer's academic performance, but also her extracurricular activities and social life.—
Jessica Sager,
PEOPLE,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Marking identified a need for the district to change its attitude toward unregulated spending and tighten internal controls that will allow more board control over spending approvals.—
Jennah Pendleton,
Sacbee.com,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Other internal signs have been prevalent that a contraction in exports was possible.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
7 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Much scholarly attention is also paid to the science of electrical storage, enabling a body to function as a permanently recharged battery, and to the use of an enormous lightning-rod mechanism, which will harness lightning from atop an isolated tower, where Victor conducts his experiments.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
28 Oct. 2025
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The study, published on the open-access scholarly article archive, arxiv, has not yet been peer-reviewed.—
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez,
Fortune,
22 Oct. 2025
Noun
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Deadline asks the Festival chief whether Series Mania is focused on the highbrow of the drama spectrum.—
Stewart Clarke,
Deadline,
6 Mar. 2025
-
Wagner would be a sleepless highbrow’s favorite; the long, lush, unbroken lines of music share with the white-noise hum of the air-conditioner or the thrum of the painstaking lecture the quality of being absorbing without offering undue eventfulness.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
20 Jan. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Intellectual.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/intellectual. Accessed 12 Nov. 2025.
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